1/5
@Lake Louise, Alberta, CA
I was going to say losing your virginity to a supermodel. Honestly would probably just be stressful.
It’s all downhill from here
I thought that's the point though
Only if they never do touring.
Quit now. You'll never get the same feeling.
So I can't die inbound? As a Norwegian I have never seen such dramatic signs.
Skiers do gain immortality while in bounds in Canada
Can confirm, I've skied inbounds all my life and haven't died a single time
If I could find a single checkpoint anywhere in this game I might be willing to try my luck and die more often
Every year people get killed wandering out of bounds without understanding the hazard. Just two weeks ago 20+ people had to be rescued in Vermont because they ducked a rope and skied away from the resort. Frankly I don’t think the signage is strong enough sometimes
A person was killed in an avalanche at Lake Louise last year, in a bowl that hadn't been opened yet
In Norway it's assumed that people know that nature is dangerous. We have some signs of course, but it's not as dramatic.
As an American who has traveled abroad, it's not just Norway. It's everywhere else in the world outside of North America.
I find the lack of obnoxious signing, ropes, barriers etc etc elsewhere around the world refreshing ! And I'm not just talking ski resorts, nature is just more natural elsewhere and left to humans to figure out their own risk exposure base on simple signing.
I think there’s a difference between knowing that there are inherent risks to recreating outside and understanding the nuances of avalanche terrain. Common sense would tell most people that the snow just on either side of the rope has the same hazard so if they can safely ski inbounds they should be able to ski the same snow out of bounds. Obviously we know this isn’t the case at all but it shows why the ski resort has to ascribe so much significance to leaving the boundary area
I frankly just think there are less people in Europe trying to go off piste in the first place and those who do are generally well prepared. In NA everyone has powder fever and will take huge risks without proper planning to go get it
Norway have powder fever. But overall we are probably far more prepared than your average person US or Europe.
In North American skiing it’s generally assumed to be safe to ski anywhere inbounds. In a lot of skiing in Europe, it’s only assumed to be safe on piste. Skiing in France there is a lot of risk just skiing between pistes. This is the difference, to remind people they are going out of the bounds.
I have heard about this, and we have som markings in Norway. I'm reacting more to the dramatic nature of the sign than the sign itself.
That’s probably related to the litigious nature of the U.S. There’s skull and cross bones signs at the bottom of chairs to double diamond only runs here.
This is not in the US, so not really about that. It’s just to inform people that out of bounds is especially dangerous because there’s no avalanche mitigation or patrol, which is not something casual skiers ever really think about.
If we had more crevasses in NA that would certainly cut down on the rope ducking here. (at least the first season would weed out a few naturally)
They’re not gonna be cute with their signs, there are skiers every year that venture out of bounds who are either ill equipped for the backcountry or those who are not experienced enough or lack knowledge of the mountain that end up missing and dead. There can be very serious consequences for inexperienced skiers and solo skiers venturing into territory that aren’t pathed by ski patrol. Signs like this don’t beat around the bush and can save lives to those who are not confident in the their ability to attempt backcountry skiing yet.
People die in Norway as well. People is assumed to know that nature is dangerous. The philosophy is that you can't fence off all nature. There will be some signs at areas of particular danger, but less dramatic.
Last year 2 skiers died at lake louise by going into an unopened bowl and triggering an avalanche.
Of course you can die out of bounds, but people die inbound as well.
Yes of course. Part of it though is the unseasonably warm temperatures and the avalanche risk is ridiculously high here. Signage like this helps with liability from the hills perspective as well.
Is it an extra sign? I think such signs should be reserved for extra bad cases, and ideally they should have information on the particular challanges at that area.
In Norway we typically have information at the bottom of the lifts showing the local avalanche risk overall.
I've lived here a couple years now and this is the first I've seen that particular sign. Standard don't go here, extreme risk, un patrolled and un controlled area signs are common and get moved around the resort as needed. But the skull and crossbones and death sign is a first for me this year. Not sure if the avalanche deaths last year have anything to do with it.
This sign is a special case, it’s at the entrance of an area that used to be inbounds, controlled avalanche terrain until only a few years ago. The sign went up to remind everyone that entering this terrain is now out of bounds and completely uncontrolled.
Banff is Insanely Gorgeous. And I live in the Swiss Alps!
First time skiing ever...
Very nice place to ski. The Canadian Rockies really just hit different.
U said it.
Just finished Sunshine. Hoping to hit Louise Sunday and norquay Monday for our free beer.
First time in Banff it’s amazing. Definitely will come back every year now.
The west coast is our favorite trails, I think lining up Banff, Tahoe, mammoth, and BB, is going to be our go to.
Just so everyone else knows: this guy is lying. All the resorts out west are crap, overcrowded and icy. Stay east!
(sneakily starts packing bags for calgary...)
You’re absolutely right. Mammoth is trash for all of March. I’m going to go there because I have no choice and others should stay away
Do you need to show like receipts from all three to get the beer?
I think so - it’s our first time doing it and we have ikon passes. I THINK we just show them on our app, but I’ll report back in a few days
I think you go to the skibig3 shop to show them and they give you the voucher and the gift, that's how it worked for me last year
Oh nice thanks for the hint!
Damn these pictures make LL look flat. Skied there the first time last week, and it was def not flat.
Banff is so gorgeous. You basically have checked off a twofer on bucket list items a lot of skiiers never will. Well done.
I’ll be there in marchh!
If 2cm is fresh powder you got a long way to go.. it's been a terrible winter and zero real pow days for the bow valley resorts.
It definitely is not! That one pic with all the people is the bunny slope where I learned, plenty of pics from the gondola and lift not included here.
This Lake Louise?
"YOU CAN DIE
It's your decision"
Jesus christ, no wonder the americans are so scared of off piste.
You mean Canadians. And you mean out of bounds. And you mean uncontrolled and unpatrolled.
But otherwise you’re spot on.
Canadians are in North America. But I can understand why canadians feel the need to separate from them.
Lastly, not sure why you said your second point. Off-piste involves no controls and no patrols as it is the case in non-american ski resorts.
Off-piste just means they don't groom the trails. They are most definitely avalanche controlled and patrolled...
The words have different meanings in NA and Europe. NA off piste means ungroomed. Euro off piste is the same but ungroomed areas also aren’t avy controlled
What do you think about clearly cut ski runs that are left ungroomed and turn to moguls? They are normally groomed early in the season to compact the base, so I'd probably call them on-piste (but really wouldn't use either term...I'd just call it a mogul run)
Your mistake here is assuming your definition of off-piste is univeral and correct. As others have said, it's different here.
But it doesn’t change anything.
The fact is, they’re acting like you might instantly die because you’re going to a non controlled area…
I haven’t seen a single sign of that sort for this situation over my few of skiing decades in non American areas.
I am doing a case about this cultural difference that I find ridiculous and at the same time most of you will argue about not putting the bar down. What is there to argue ? It’s safer and nothing else matters but apparently you gotta put skulls and death inspiring signs once you’re a meter away from a controlled area. Hilarious really.
Well in Canada we do use the bar, so we're just pretty much correct on everything.
Nobody is under the illusion that you will die 1 meter outside the rope (though I can think of several spots at Lake Louise alone where it's totally plausible). Have you never heard the expression: 'there's a story behind every warning sign'? People die in the side country all the time. And it's almost certainly at a much higher rate per hour than riding a chairlift with or without a bar.
Lol. If anything not scared enough. People die every year leaving the resort without so much as a backpack
Headed to LL in 2 weeks. Looking forward to it!
Spent 3 months skiing here for my level 1&2. Love Lake Louise and Banff
Lovely sign 🤣
Lake Louise is very special 💙 happy for you!
Yea best ski resort. Very odd but my kid is in one of those pictures in the learning area. Last Sunday? 😂
Hahaha yes it was! Small world eh?
Haha yea so random. That’s a great place for Dmf year time skiing. I’m probably close to one Thousand days of skiing there at this point. It’s my happy place 😊
Powder skiing is on another level from regular skiing. I can't even go back to the icy crap anymore.
I skied in fresh powder for the first time this year, and yes, I also recommend.
199% agree!
This is how I started snowboarding, I ski now…
Went there several years ago. Lake Louise 2 days and Sunshine 1 day. Best skiing I've ever been apart of. I'd love to go back.
Heading to lake Louise for Wednesday. I am very excited
New England skier here, what is fresh powder? In all seriousness, the mountain looks perfect for learning.
Cool. If you could ship some down to us in New England, that’d be sweet.
I miss Lake Louise so much, it was my home mountain growing up.
Can I have some pls?
That’s like having A5 Wagyu for your first steak.